There is something painfully solitary about a batsman who remains untroubled amid the trials of good, unrelenting seam bowling but who, as he repeatedly glances at the scoreboard, discovers that there is really no one to stay with him.

When Worcestershire were all out in their second innings in fewer than 44 overs for a rather scratchy 211, Vikram Solanki, surely one of the most infuriatingly unfulfilled but naturally exquisite batters, was on 74 not out. He had again visibly carried the responsibilities of a captain. Maybe he should have realised a little earlier that late-order companions were not likely to be around for long. In fact he was finally stranded, just like Anthony McGrath the previous day.

Solanki was surprisingly only the second player to reach a half-century in the match. The bowlers held sway, summoning up some crucial bounce, but he got to his 50 with a classic square-cut and followed up with insouciant boundaries through the covers and mid-wicket.

Yorkshire were left to score 203; in a match of much significance to them, play had not started until after lunch. Their return to the First Division should be on course, though they would have liked the reassurance of Phil Jaques's presence at the crease. His departure, to join Australia A, was untimely. More perplexing was the news that Jaques, the county's most prolific scorer of late but a victim of overseas registration congestion, will not be retained. He will be back, almost certainly, with another county.

The Headingley pitch had recovered well from the heavy rain. Then Yorkshire appeared to compensate for lost time by taking Worcestershire's last six wickets for 85. As Deon Kruis and the recent South Australia recruit Mark Cleary demonstrated, with a consistently challenging pace and occasional lift, it was really no day for the batsmen.

Ben Smith went to the fourth ball of the day as Simon Guy, small and zestful, dived forward at full length to take the catch. The wicketkeeper had had a thoroughly creditable match with seven catches, held with agility, and much energetic retrieving of the ball.

As the edges multiplied, the slips also held on to their chances. The variation in pattern was offered by Shoaib Akhtar, who immediately marked his arrival with a six of unconventional structure, very soon superseded by a skied catch to deep third man.

Ian Harvey came up with some nostalgic, now infrequently seen wobble to take the last two Worcestershire wickets. However, Yorkshire's reply again leaned disproportionately on the resilience of McGrath.

When the bad light stopped play, Yorkshire were on 89 for two off 20 overs.